TRPG General Chat

12:08 AM

That's a bit better, though it's still voluntary.

(You can just choose to not buy potions.) Ultimately, the D&D feature format doesn't really lend itself to that kind of exploration?

Ben

@BESW I'd be ok with that. Can roleplay it as overcoming your addiction, which I fully support :D

Sdjz

About this question. It seems the pdf was leaked but wizard's then took it down. Due to caching, I have access to the text but I am questioning if it's ok or even useful to share it.

Ben

@Sdjz I'd say that falls under unreleased content - off-topic. Once it's re-released it can be re-opened

Carcer

@BESW really you need a withdrawal penalty of some kind as the mechanical impetus for encouraging acquisition/consumption, if addiction is something you want to model in mechanics at all

but yeah it's not a system that lends itself to nuance

Adeptus

1:10 AM

@MarkWells Plot twist: "Everyone is 4-5 commoners" ...in a trenchcoat

Hot RPG Questions

2:06 AM

6

Q: How to make a creature pretty?

I am well aware that the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but listen to me if you will. We are currently playing D&D 5e, a nautical adventure. I asked the DM if I could have a mermaid fall in love with my character and have her as a wife later, except what fell in love with my character was ...

dnd-5e

Mark Wells

@Carcer I wonder if it works better if you compulsively drink potions, rather than buy them.

Ben

@MarkWells Well that's the fundamental idea. You're addicted to the consumption of them, so when you purchase them, you need to buy more because you always want them on hand.

You're not addicted to the purchase of them, you're addicted to the effect - thus creating a need for more of them.

Mark Wells

Right, but can you evade that just by having someone else buy them?

Ben

@MarkWells Again, I'd see that as management of your habit

You want 4 - so you buy them, and roll a d4.

d4

Dice Service

1

Ben

2:09 AM

So you have to buy at least 1 more.

Or, you can ask someone else to buy them for you, who is not restricted to the rule. Bypassing your "lack of control".

Mark Wells

@Ben But it's trivial to avoid that, you just need someone else to do the purchase and give you the potions.

Ben

It's asking for help to support your overcoming your addiction

Axoren

2:23 AM

Am I banned from commenting or something? I can't add comments or join RPG Chat normally.

I had to sneak in from Main SE Chat page

Clicking Add Comment just boots me elsewhere

Heck, I don't even know if these messages are happening.

Ben

@Axoren I"m seeing them

Axoren

That's one question answered, lol. Thanks, @Ben

Ben

As for what's going on, I don;t think that's anything to do with the site. Users don't get blocked from chat - they just need minimum rep to be able to jump in AFAIK

That re-route sounds more like a firewall thing

The only thing that might be site specific is the commenting, but that would be related to your rep.

Axoren

It's only happening on this SE, and I have rep.

Weird, it works now.

Ben

Yeah. Off the top of my head the "blocked commenting" is only linked to a sudden decline in rep - lots of DV's etc.

Otherwise, Just a firewall thing. Blocked sites or something

Axoren

2:30 AM

"Sudden decline?" I lost 2 rep because of a downvote I got, that's all I can think of. Lol

Just random oddity, then.

Ben

Probably it's too out of the ordinary to be anything other than a momentary glitch or something

Axoren

At the very least, I was hoping to see it wasn't just me

V2Blast

2:53 AM

@goodguy5 The first part you can also (easily) do on DDB - arguably better, since it has even more filtering options. But yeah, I would love if DDB made it possible to print spell cards/monster statblocks in a, uh... optimized for print way (the current format does not look good when printed).

@goodguy5 Definitely quite overpriced, but most fashion items are. And, like all fashion, subject to taste :P

@doppelgreener That's hilarious.

I like that the arguments are never over the translations of the descriptions... (though in seriousness, I assume that's because most of the card text is a series of game terms with standardized phrasing)

The Oracle

0

Q: Is it ok to ask for comments on downvotes?

Whenever I post an answer I immediately get downvotes. This always puzzled me as there never seems to be a reason for it. I tried posting a comment asking if downvoters could please leave a comment so I can correct any problems. I received a lot of comments which is great, and fixed some problem...

discussion comments voting down-votes

V2Blast

3:15 AM

@MikeQ Still need to actually build the character, but I have an idea for my Descent into Avernus character. Zariel tiefling bard, either Swords/Valor subclass down the line (I haven't read the guides/comparisons despite opening the tabs :P) - or maybe Lore but it feels unflavorful and would only make my choice paralysis worse. Faceless background.

Kinda taking inspiration from Zuko as the Blue Spirit in Avatar: The Last Airbender; I'm thinking they did something bad in their past and are maybe being hunted for it (or shunned), hence being a masked vigilante of sorts? and are working to make up for their bad deeds in the past maybe

NautArch

@V2Blast have a friend playing a sword bard and it's kinda fun

V2Blast

has anyone played DiA and used the "Dark Secrets" mechanic?

it seems like the group mostly just made their own characters in a vacuum (and all of them are not native to Baldur's Gate) so I'm maybe thinking of mining it for inspiration for my own backstory

Adeptus

3:40 AM

I'm (sporadically, slowly) working on a homebrew campaign, in a new world. So far, I have mostly worked out a world-shaping historical event; one city; and a pair of BBEG's with some "cut scenes" to introduce the first, & then pass the torch to the second. I only have very vague ideas about the adventures in between, though...

Also only vague ideas about the rest of the world

NautArch

@Adeptus I think if you just set the stage and use some early adventures to nudge towards plot, it's best to let the players explore and build adventures and plot movement based on their actions.

but i tend to lean more on improvisation

MikeQ

@V2Blast Or for a less edgy approach, maybe they just really admire heroism and vigilantes, and want to inspire others into being heroic

Adeptus

@NautArch Well... the first BBEG is an orc warlord. Intro would be escorting human General to parlay with him, BBEG killing him, chaos breaking out, & BBEG escaping to continue war vs humans. Overarching goal will be kill BBEG to break orc tribal alliances & stop the war. Steps towards that? 🤷‍♂️

NautArch

@Adeptus Let the players guide you :)

But you dont' even necessarily have to jump right into the escort duty.

What level are you starting at?

V2Blast

also wondering if anyone's used the Faceless background, in terms of when/how the party would discover the character's true identity. long-term deception is unsustainable (and probably undesirable), so I was thinking that it'd happen sometime during the Baldur's Gate portion (either "accidentally", obviously done in cooperation with the DM - or intentionally once he gets to know them)

@MikeQ eh. maybe

Adeptus

3:52 AM

@NautArch No idea. I'm running another game at the moment, so I don't even know when I'll run this new one. Probably start at 1st? Maybe 3rd, so they can dive right in to subclasses?

NautArch

@V2Blast interestingly, my current character has a bit of that type of backstory. I'm not looking at it as long-term deception, but more that I disclose more of who I am as I bond with the party.

V2Blast

true

NautArch

@Adeptus Why would a general be escorted by such lowly guards at level 1 or even 3?

V2Blast

@Adeptus Depends on the players/party. If they've played D&D before, I'd start at 3rd level at least

though NautArch also makes a good point - that should be justified a little in story

NautArch

Given that this is leading to the BBEG, I think you can develop the characters and story more before even getting that part of the storyline intro.

This also gives you time to develop your world and story based on how the players are interacting with the sandbox.

pwi

3:57 AM

@NautArch I guess it depends on what the general is a general of, and how many body guards there are. Even 4 or 5 lvl 1 characters is a powerful force by normal standards.

NautArch

True, and that can be included in the story if it makes sense as well. But I still think jumping right into that intro seems fast. I prefer to give my players, and me, time to figure out who their characters are and what they're interested in so I can work on a more interesting and integrated story as I get into a primary plot.

We've all got different DM styles, that's just mine :)

Adeptus

My initial idea was that they do some quest, return the king's lost widget, and as a reward, he makes them escorts for the general... or something like that

NautArch

@Adeptus ah, that could work! An honor guard would make sense. But again, why is the King sending these folks on a quest? How did he get introduced to them?

Adeptus

I can think of some possibilities. Open call for adventurers "recover my widget & you shall be rewarded". Or they just happen across it in the loot of the monsters they've killed & recognise it as the king's.

NautArch

Those definitely work

how many players?

Maybe someone will pick the Noble background and you can use that as well.

Adeptus

4:10 AM

probably 4 players

trogdor

@doppelgreener omg now I want and air-traffic control lizard

XD

NautArch

@trogdor I now face a lifetime of disappointment looking out my window while on the tarmac at an airport.

trogdor

Lol

V2Blast

@trogdor as do we all

I suppose we'll have to settle for an S-shaped wingaling dragon with a beefy arm

trogdor

Hmm wonder where we'll get one of those

:P

Hot RPG Questions

5:09 AM

6

Q: What level should this Brew of the Boosted Brain homebrew spell be?

I'm running a game for a group entirely made of engineers and programmers. One of them approached me with this custom spell, and asked me to include it into the game. Brew of the Boosted Brain Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: S, M (a few spoons of coffee powder and a...

dnd-5e spells homebrew

V2Blast

5:31 AM

@Sdjz For reference: "The official version of the Unearthed Arcana article “Subclasses, Part 2” is still ahead of us, later this week or sometime next week. Our team will hold off on answering questions until you’ve seen the real deal!"

SmokeDetector

5:41 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword in answer, bad keyword with email in answer, email in answer, pattern-matching email in answer, potentially bad keyword in answer (348): How to identify a spell being cast? by moha jones on rpg.SE

Hot RPG Questions

7:10 AM

3

Q: Does a Glyph of Warding have its own agency in the game?

Does a Glyph of Warding have its own agency in the game? The case of the nasty Drow, invisible evil Sprite and the blue Orc. Some specifications for the trigger of a Glyph of Warding are more obvious than others. For instance, I am a Dwarf Cleric and set a Glyph of Warding (Explosive Runes) u...

dnd-5e spells

kviiri

7:24 AM

Has anyone played Forbidden Lands? I got invited to a game. It sounds like a very OSR game and I'd like to hear what kinds of experiences you've had with it

Definitely didn't sound like my favorite genre but I'm considering it to be worth a try, esp. given that the GM is explicitly one of those "You join if you feel like joining, leave if you feel like leaving, skip if you feel like skipping" types and that warms my heart a lot

SmokeDetector

7:41 AM

[ SmokeDetector | MS ] Bad keyword with a link in answer, link at end of answer, non-latin link in answer (222): What makes something a signature monster? by nununu on rpg.SE

The Oracle

9:29 AM

0

Q: I think this answer might be harmful

this answer currently suggests swimming while wearing a full suit of metal armor would be a reasonable thing to do in real life. In actuality, jumping into water with a full suit of metal armor on may well end in your death. While most people are, I hope, educated enough to realize that the phy...

discussion specific-question

Hot RPG Questions

11:32 AM

6

Q: How can I become guaranteed to move first in an encounter?

3.5e is a very exploitable game and I am vaguely aware of a number of ways to make it highly probable that my character will be the first to move in any given combat encounter. To name just a few examples: Pun-Pun has an arbitrarily high bonus to initiative, Supreme Initiative appears to do what ...

dnd-3.5e initiative

NautArch

12:41 PM

@V2Blast Official Unearthed Arcana almost seems like an oxymoron

And am I a hammer looking for a nail or are many of the comments to this question frame challenge answers?

Carcer

12:54 PM

@NautArch a little bit, natural tendency of people to want to be helpful even if the question is closed

nitsua60

@kviiri It's sitting in its shrinkwrap on the shelf behind me right now =\

GcL

1:57 PM

@NautArch Nah. The comment by Overthinks starts out with one, but goes on to ask a question.

kviiri

@nitsua60 Aw

JohnP

4:27 PM

GOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRNING RPG!!! Hey, this is not a test, this is serious gaming! We're ready to rock it from the Feywild to the Outer Planes! Is that just me, or does that sound like a Nicolas Cage movie? National...Treasure!

With apologies to Robin Williams.

nitsua60

We've got a weather report from the Elemental Plane of Fire. Dwayne, how's the weather there?
It's hot! Damn hot!
Can you give us any more detail?
Fool! I said it's hot! You got a window? Open it!

JohnP

./

Rubiksmoose

XD

Matt M

4:41 PM

I am looking for advice... I have a NG Cavalier and I'm looking for options to deal with non-combatants such as women/children orcs after defeating the warband or opponents you get to surrender. I dont want to kill them, but can't take them with us and dont want them to become combatants later (especially at inopportune times).

Yuuki

this is why you roll a necromancer /s

Matt M

Tying them up they could die if they can't get free

lets just assume I want to keep the NG Cavalier...

Carcer

it's a tricky problem

most of the time there probably isn't any "good" option there

if you can't take them with you, and you don't have some nearby authority you can hand them off to, you either kill them or let them go, presumably with some amount of scaremongering about what consequences await them if they continue their inconvenient ways

Matt M

Thats what I'm wrestling with... trying to find a better option

Carcer

system/edition?

There might be spells and other character options which help deal with this specific problem if you're willing to invest the resources in them.

though, ultimately, this is kind of just the tradeoff you have to make - if you show an enemy mercy, they might come back to get you later, and you just have to accept that that's the price of this kind of being good

Matt M

4:54 PM

Were doing ADD 1E... but the system is not really the issue... looking for the universal solutions

Carcer

@MattM no, don't be like that

for all you know there's a spell which goes "freeze some prisoners in a pocket dimension until you can deal with them later"

Matt M

lol.... that would be handy

Carcer

I'm not saying the system is the problem, just that the system might have solutions that are specific to that system.

I don't know 1e well enough to come up with any, though.

JohnP

5:31 PM

@Carcer 1e didn't have the cavalier class until dragon mag #72 came out, and it makes no mention of how to deal with survivors, other than the chivalric code being codified in the article.

Yuuki

The thing about the morally good choice in this situation is that you have to accept that there's a non-zero chance that they come back to try to get revenge for some reason. That's what makes it the "hard" choice.

If you could easily guarantee a way to get these people out of your hair permanently and not have to kill them, then it wouldn't be a dilemma.

And it wouldn't be a moral choice whatsoever.

JohnP

@Yuuki Just drop them off a cliff. You didn't kill them, the landing did. Problem solved.

There is a reason I never played a paladin. :p

Yuuki

@JohnP This is significantly more difficult when your name is Lan Ding.

JohnP

@Yuuki So... if you shiv that character did you stick the Lan Ding?

Yuuki

@JohnP alley oop

user15026

6:09 PM

@JohnP facedesk

JohnP

@Ash Oh, admit it. You lol'd. It's not roflcopter level but still...

user15026

Not out loud, no. :P

JohnP

@Ash anytime anyone says facedesk I picture Ally Sheedy in Breakfast Club

user15026

6:31 PM

Oh man it's been a long time since I've watched that.

Yuuki

6:52 PM

Oh yeah, I should make a post about doing a Power Rangers movie night.

That's kinda like watching The Breakfast Club.

MikeQ

@KorvinStarmast Yes, thanks for the feedback. I'll print out pregenerated character sheets, and get a few of those spell card decks to help manage spell info

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ ANd just so you know, I totally copied your file for future reference. 8^D It's a cool set up for a beginning game ...

MikeQ

It's still very rough. I asked a few others who I can rely on for... let's say sharper critical feedback, to point out the cracks and flaws in structure and concept

For example, the early encounters don't seem to have any in-game reward or consequence

We also restructured the exploration phase for a more modular approach, so that each area has a theme and a reward, but the challenge in an area is independent. So regardless of which areas the PCs navigate to, the DM can control what challenges they face, depending on the time & resources available.

KorvinStarmast

7:28 PM

@MikeQ If you intend to update it, then I'll drop on by and get the better version.

MikeQ

Of course. I don't like to distribute unfinished material. The plan is to polish it some more, run it in 2 weeks, get feedback from the players, and then update it again.

KorvinStarmast

@MikeQ Cool, sounds like fun.

Medix2

7:42 PM

@Someone_Evil When I have a solution to your tankard question but the math is so ugly I don't know how to compute it out...

Someone_Evil

What is making the math ugly?

Medix2

Portent...

Also when the enemies have a 1/20 chance of breaking free of hold monster

Someone_Evil

If you are locked into using portent on a specific roll, doesn't it become: highest/lowest of 3d20?

Medix2

Oh I probably can't use portent except on the first round, hmmm

Someone_Evil

You might just want to ignore portent for the calculation and say that the actual answer (when using portent) would be slightly higher than the estimate

Medix2

7:52 PM

Yeah there's just a lot of conditionals and I think I'm too tired to do them out

hold monster guarantees a failed save on wall of fire, but then if hold monster ends it isn't guaranteed. Maybe I'll come back to the numbers later

Does having the Tankard cast wall of fire count as damage it deals?

Someone_Evil

If it is the tankard casting the spell, then I agree with you that it does

JohnP

@Someone_Evil This is definitely going to make bar fights more interesting if the crockery can cast their own spells.

Medix2

8:17 PM

Now I'm just afraid to post my answer in case the math is all wrong. I've reached 168 damage on average, will go over it more and probably post later today

Medix2

8:30 PM

Does wall of fire require a saving throw to avoid damage after the first instance?

Someone_Evil

No, but it requires creatures to stay within the AoE

KorvinStarmast

8:51 PM

@Someone_Evil It ain't a fit night out for man nor beast ! (Phwoosh! snowball hits ...)

Your deadly tankard reminds me of the Fatal Glass of Beer (a short comedy by WC Fields)

Upper_Case

9:03 PM

I really wish the user were available to add the [dnd-5e] tag to this question

It's easy to answer, but I have a feeling I'll miss the window after the clarification is added (assuming that it is)

Oh well

KorvinStarmast

I think I'll go out and milk the elk ...

Bradley Lindsey

If the DM allows a PC to wield two two handed weapons do the effects of those weapons stack?

3.5

V2Blast

@GcL Yeah, was wondering about that one. I've edited out the frame-challengey bit of the comment now.

@MattM I think I have the 2nd or 3rd edition of ADD :P

@Medix2 Dunno the specific context of this question, but Wall of Fire grants a save to creatures literally within the area of the wall when it appears, then automatically does damage to creatures that move through the wall, end their turn within the line of the wall itself, or end their turn within 10 feet of the wall on the side you chose.

@Upper_Case While D&D 5e is likely simply due to popularity, that question's vague enough that it could be a number of other editions or possibly even systems too.

Carcer

9:18 PM

@V2Blast but it's not, though. It's a D&D 5e question.

Upper_Case

@V2Blast I understand, I'm not suggesting it should be re-opened or anything

V2Blast

@Carcer Certainly a reasonable presumption, but what makes you so sure? ...Upon rereading, is it the mention of a "bonus action"?

Carcer

You might be able to find another game somewhere where that combination of words still makes perfect sense, but if the OP comes back and it's a not a 5e question, I will print it out and video myself eating it for you

Upper_Case

@Carcer Playing the odds that's almost certainly true, but the OP could mistakenly have used the wrong word, or wrongly ported something from 5e to an earlier edition, or something similar

Ludoss

Is it okay to prepare plots in adventure preparation? (I read in PbtA that you shouldn't prepare plots.)

Upper_Case

9:20 PM

What the OP seems to be asking may not be what they intended to ask

Carcer

@V2Blast specific use of bonus action and reaction, explicit "Dodge action" as opposed to terminology from previous editions

Upper_Case

@Ludoss What do you mean by "OK"? It can make things a lot harder, or devolve into railroading, but it can still be done well

Carcer

@Ludoss what do you mean exactly by preparing a plot?

V2Blast

@Carcer Ah, okay. That was my other guess as to what made you so sure about it.

Carcer

PbtA systems generally are designed to give much more narrative freedom/influence to the players and draw on improvisation, so it's not surprising that a PbtA game says "don't prepare plots in advance"

Ludoss

9:23 PM

plot prepare: I think about scenes which could happen, like there is an attack or the pcs get captured or escaped.

Upper_Case

@Ludoss I don't think that's quite what they're meaning by "preparing a plot"

Ludoss

What do they mean by "prepare a plot" in PtbA?

Upper_Case

That phrase usually means "planning specific events that must occur for the story to move forward". An example of that in the "PCs get captured" case might be that they need to get into a fight and then lose. That can be a problem if the players try to avoid the fight in the first place, or get into it and then escape or win. Then your story that depends on them getting captured can't really move forward

Carcer

Yeah. You of course need a premise and it's fine to think about things that might happen so that you're more prepared to respond appropriately to the way the players decide to do, but you shouldn't effectively write a story (even a branching one) and expect the players to follow it along

Upper_Case

In contrast, if you're planning a (maybe you need the PCs to be separated from their equipment), you can focus on that situation and then improvise a way to make it happen based on what's already going on at the table. If they get into a fight and lose, they can be captured and sent to prison where they're stripped of their gear. If that doesn't happen, some other thing could: maybe they're robbed while sleeping, or anything else

Ludoss

9:35 PM

If I think about possible outcomes, am I then not writing a branching story?

Upper_Case

@Ludoss In my experience, planning for possible outcomes is worthwhile because it helps me think about the situations the players are in, even though my players rarely end up causing those specific outcomes to matter

It's only "writing a branching story" if you require your players to end up on one of those branches

Ludoss

I can rethink the situation after every session. So I think I don't write a branching story. Good.

Upper_Case

I haven't played any PbtA games, so this might not directly apply, but I usually think of it like this:

Any TTRPG will have NPCs, groups, etc., and those will always have goals, resources, and obstacles. No matter what the players do, those NPCs and groups will still pursue their goals by using their resources and dealing with their obstacles.

Prepping a plot means that your story needs the players to do a specific thing, like steal an item that an NPC requires for some plot-relevant plan. If they don't do that, then you have a problem.

Yuuki

Branching stories aren't bad. What if the goal of one of your players is to set up a national banking system?

Upper_Case

Prepping a situation means that you know what the NPC wants, and that they'll use that item to do it. If the players decide to try to steal the item and ruin the NPC's plan, you can work with that. If they don't make that decision, then the NPC keeps the item and uses it to advance their schemes. Then your players have something else to deal with, specifically an NPC that has more resources or is closer to their goal

Which you can also work with

MikeQ

9:46 PM

Not necessarily. Plot could simply include setting, and premise, and what NPCs intend to do. The GM could also present motives and possible goals, and prepare contingencies based on player choice. This doesn't restrict player choice, or require a specific sequence of actions.

Upper_Case

@MikeQ In the "don't prep plots" parlance (I'm attributing it to The Alexandrian, but I could be wrong about that), that would be described as prepping a situation, not a plot

BESW

10:13 PM

Evil Hat released Fate Condensed, which can be read on fate-srd.com or downloaded from itch.io or DTRPG.

5

> Fate Condensed is an updated, streamlined, 50-pages-or-less version of Fate Core System. It's completely stand-alone and features new refinements to the Fate Core engine that'll have it running better than ever. Call it Fate 4.5, if you like—it covers all the ground (and uses the same skills) as Fate Core, in about a sixth the size.

Rubiksmoose

@BESW Ooo!

BESW

They've made election action initiative part of the core game assumptions!

Still using Refresh though. Boooooo.

Now I'm thinking about writing up my own version of Fate.

Rubiksmoose

I need to actually read Fate one of these days and/or play it.

Just to understand it.

Yuuki

@BESW Once you finish it, you could call it "Fate Accompli".

BESW

If nobody's taken that name yet... WHY NOT.

Rubiksmoose

10:19 PM

@Yuuki I... actually really like that lol

Not that I don't normally like puns of course

BESW

@Rubiksmoose I could try running a short session for Cozy Gaming.

Rubiksmoose

@BESW I'd be very interested :)

BESW

The trick will be finding a good premise...

Rubiksmoose

hmmmmm

Yuuki

@BESW I know a place down Highway 6 with a number of tables in the back and a pizza parlor that delivers next door.

BESW

10:32 PM

Also, I'd struggle to run a game of "pure" Fate-as-written, any version of it.

RedRiderX

@BESW I haven't heard of this type of initiative system but I'm reading through it and it sounds pretty interesting

BESW

I just throw in so many little tweaks that I don't even really notice anymore.

RedRiderX

The stat based initiative in Fate Core always felt out of place in a game that was so ad hoc otherwise.

BESW

@RedRiderX It's my second favorite initiative system ever, and my favorite for tactical gaming! We started using it for D&D 4e and it was really perfect.

RedRiderX

While the example in the pdf is helpful, I don't think I fully grok it yet.

Wouldn't you always pick an ally to go next? (assuming there are some left)

BESW

10:37 PM

Sure... then the enemies all get to go in a lump at the end and chain their actions without interruption.

It's a tactical choice!

Yuuki

Assuming they survive the initial wave of onslaught. So, your high-risk high-reward tactic.

Also happens to speed up combat if your party has significantly more power than the opponent's for some reason.

So there's a plus there, I suppose.

BESW

We'd also often make strategic choices like "let that guy go first because he'll probably move there and that'll set up a sweet move for me."

Yuuki

@BESW I always feel weird about hearing this stuff as a DM. Do I make the enemy move there and make things easy? Do I make the enemy move elsewhere and then we have to break for ten minutes for another "discussion" on metagaming?

Carcer

@Yuuki that sounds frustrating.

BESW

I generally make the decision based on a lot of immediate context factors, leaning toward giving players a chance to do awesome stuff.

Yuuki

10:45 PM

@Carcer I used to just deafen myself (Discord) or put on some headphones when it was a PC turn.

BESW

But I don't have experience with groups that get hung up on metagaming.

And in Fate, GMs and players are explicitly co-conspirators to make the PCs' lives dramatic and complicated in awesome ways. That takes a lot of the antagonism out of such choices.

Yuuki

I think if I ever do Fate, I'm going to start off with a setting as far a departure from D&D (and similar adventuring party RPG system) as I can manage. Like, I dunno, medical students at a hospital in the afterlife.

Carcer

@Yuuki isn't that a bit late for medicine

Yuuki

@Carcer see medicine in the afterlife isn't about your physical health, lack of policy support for mental healthcare pretty much everywhere has resulted in a demand for rehabilitation and recovery in the afterlife and i dunno, i came up with that after noticing there's a lot of Scrubs videos in my YouTube recommendations sidebar

Carcer

@Yuuki oh sure mental health treatment works

Yuuki

10:53 PM

i'm not even flying by the seat of my pants here, i'm sewing those together while falling at terminal velocity

Carcer

I just tend not to associate that with hospitals

BESW

Check out Evil Hat’s itchiopage, they’ve got some free stuff that might give a good place to start. There’s at least a couple mental health related settings.

Hot RPG Questions

11:17 PM

1

Q: What happens to the target of a "permanent" True Polymorph spell, when its caster dies

The description of the spell says specifically that after the caster has maintained it's concentration for an hour, the spell can be dispelled. The transformation lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies. If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration,...

dnd-5e spells polymorph concentration

4

Q: Would this hit/miss houserule be balanced with bounded accuracy?

Would this houserule be balanced with the bounded accuracy system? If an attack roll is made and "misses" by one, the defender takes a glancing blow. This glancing blow does not count as a successful hit. This glancing blow deals half damage of the attack to a maximum of 3. This damage cannot...

dnd-5e balance house-rules reality-check

BESW

11:50 PM

I'm trying to make a Spotify playlist for Puppy Day, but all the most adorable Shonen Knife songs aren't on Spotify.

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